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Spring Cleaning Life

As we are moving in to spring many people’s minds turn to spring cleaning, especially when the spring sunshine starts to show you just how dirty your windows and how dusty the skirting boards are. I usually find that I take time this time of year to have a through clean and declutter of the house. But this year it feels as if I need the spring clean myself.Although I have managed a lot over the last year despite my injury and recovery, I am suddenly feeling energised and ready to take on challenges and move forward in life after what feels like a period of inertia.

So, I have set myself a thirteen week challenge. You may wonder why such an arbitrary number? It is the length of the summer school term so have a definite end to it and a time to take stock.The first big challenge is a personal and physical one. I have gained a lot of weight, for me, over the last fifteen months and got increasingly unfit thanks to not biking so I have set myself a weight loss and fitness goal. I have done this once before successfully and managed to maintain it until last year. So last week I went swimming for the first time in ages and I will be going twice a week plus walking places instead of catching buses if I can. I will be eating a healthy breakfast everyday (I even bought a Systema breakfast box for the swimming days) – gone are the jam doughnuts from Netto after school drop off. A healthy lunch, and a filling dinner. I haven’t been drinking since the New Year and as I enjoy a glass of wine this will be coming back but in much more moderatation. Already after a week I am feeling less sluggish and more energised. It seems that the time is coming to say goodbye to my physio, which is slightly bittersweet as it means that my arm will always be slightly disabled but I am pleased to be at the end of the road. He is a great physio but not a miracle worker (I am happy to recommend him if anyone is in need).

Next up of course are professional challenges. I launched Dejlige Days Welcome last year and I have been fortunate to have a number of clients with minimal promotion but I will be really driving this business forward as I really think I can make a difference to people and I have a lot to give on this front. I am still loving blogging here but on busy weeks I may be missing off a Wednesday post. I have masses of content to share but not always the time to do it.

Likewise with the ebook, in concentrating on my latest surgery, progress has been slower than I had hoped but I am setting myself weekly goals on this too. I am also considering producing it as a real book rather than an ebook so need to do some research on this but by the end of the magical 13 weeks there will be something to show for this. I am also writing a lot more regularly for The Local as well as my column so watch out there for more from me. As you may see I pop up in lots of place such as The Huffington Post and recently Mother Mag, plus there are some other high profile things coming from me in the media in the next few months, which I will share here too. With only about five hours a day to concentrate on this, I use my time wisely but also be kind to myself.

Finally location. We had only lived our apartment in Østerbro for about six months when I had my cycle accident and in a few months we will have lived here for two years. In a way I haven’t really bonded with the place, it is a lovely apartment but increasingly and quite a lot to do with our neighbours, we are thinking about the alternatives to living here in the city. I find that I spend most of my time outside my neighbourhood and living further outside the city wouldn’t alter the easiness of getting to places I enjoy, thanks to the great transport system here. I never thought the day would come when I could imagine us living outside central Copenhagen in house but it is slowly becoming a real prospect for us. This is a longer than 13 week plan but hopefully on the horizon. We are tentatively looking at the villa quarters in Amager and would love some thoughts from readers on this area.

So 13 weeks, its going to be busy but I love having goals with a definite deadline to them so I am ready to get cracking!

Published by Dejlige Days

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4 comments

So lovely to read this article as I too feel I been suffering inertia for the last few months…you’ve inspired me to break out ! Good luck with your writing and projects, I’m sure they will be a success.
As I was reading about you moving out of central København, my first thought was to say Amager to you ! Especially with the cycle route directly into town. I have fond memories of the area from childhood and the last couple of summers we have rented a villa for a holiday. Such lovely open villas and gardens too ! I’m always looking for similar houses here when we discuss moving. Good luck and have a wonderful healthy week! Pia xx

Hi Melanie. It was a very nice post. I only recently “discovered” your blog when me and my husband made plans to come to Copenhagen for the summer 2016 and I like your perspective on the city life and everything Copenhagen.
I am a dietitian by trade and wanted to comment on your 13 week challenge regarding healthy eating. I just recently read about the Denmark phenomenon – people just don’t seem to get overweight in this country and even if they do they quickly get back into shape. Your post kind of reiterated this notion.
When I looked at the picture of your breakfast though I became puzzled…. Hmm… thought I, back in the children’s obesity clinic where I counselled kids and teens I would not advise them to eat such a breakfast and here is why (I hope you are at least a bit interested to know): juice is a red flag. Orange (fruit) is a much healthier option since juice is sugar and vitamins dissolved in water while the orange has fiber in addition to these things – slows down glucose release in your blood. Cereal or granola – make sure you pick the one with no sugar or very little sugar. By the way eggs and bacon surprisingly may be healthier than the ready-made cereal. Anyway…. I just felt compelled to share the knowledge I have on healthy nutrition and weight loss strategies. Let me know if you are willing to learn more about it. I am not too busy at the moment, so you can e-mail me at anyarozanova@gmail.com